Slovak matters
Slovak matters is a column devoted to helping ex-pats and foreigners understand the beautiful but difficult Slovak language.
Music in the veins
What to say when someone is bossy or blabs everything, inspired by music.
Kidnapping and virginity: brace yourself for a Slovak wedding
Some of the more traditional wedding rituals seem shocking today.
Dialects: You say potatoes, I say grule...or švábky?
Around Košice, asking for a pipka will get you a pipe but elsewhere might get you a smack.
You say nazdar, I say dovi
From ships to Latin, Slovak's greeting vocabulary is rich and broad.
How to get out of a conversation in a hurry
You might be jammed, whistling, or falling, preferably without a parachute.
Slovak romance: What to say when flirting, dating, or dumping
In Slovakia, you don’t just flirt – you "hook" (zháčiť) or "pack" (zbaliť). Here’s the slang you need to play the game – or decode it.
A Spanish bird made of beef
If you get hangry, you probably feel like a wolf when hungry.
Strong as a beech, thin as a poplar
Trees provide a rich background for all kinds of Slovak sayings.
Honey on the tongue, poison in the heart
Hopefully powerful politicians learn that the handle will eventually fall off the water jug.
What to make of mak
What to do when you don't like a beloved Slovak ingredient?
Slovník is its own reward
Reading the dictionary is also funny.
Mikuláš or the Devil: Were you obedient?
In Slovakia, Mikuláš isn't just a jolly old fellow.
Vivat Slovakia: A language guide to independence
Written over 20 years ago, this article is surprisingly relevant to politics still today.
Slovak Matters: Slovak cooking lingo
Mixing up cesto (dough) and cesta (road/way/journey) may cause confused faces around you.
Slovak Matters: Sick as a dog, or under the dog?
The social aspect of being sick has changed since the pandemic, but the language is the same.
Slovak Matters: Hold your mushroom
Mushroom picking is Slovakia's favourite hobby, involving bugs, rain, cold, and poisonous fungi.
Slovak Matters: in praise of burčiak
The activity taking place in a bottle of burčiak can cause internal September storms.
Slovak Matters: learning with less trstenica and more internet
What a teacher will find in a Slovak classroom.
Slovak Matters: A 613 or bugatka car?
A litany of car expressions for you.
Slovak Matters: A Slovak's castle is his home
The fact that Slovakia exists at all is in part testament to its castle-building tradition - and there are many.
- Bože môj: In search of my Rusyn self
- News digest: President shuts down referendum push on Russia sanctions Video
- Bratislava Region simplifies transport zones, raises fares
- Slovakia ends November 17 public holiday amid fiscal pressures
- Slovaks use social media more than Czechs – but with less caution
- How to spend 48 hours in Bratislava
- Is Slovakia the next Hungary? MEPs raise alarm over democratic backsliding
- Who can still afford a home in Slovakia? Mostly couples with two incomes
- Bože môj: In search of my Rusyn self
- Bratislava Region simplifies transport zones, raises fares
- Slovakia ends November 17 public holiday amid fiscal pressures
- Who can still afford a home in Slovakia? Mostly couples with two incomes
- Neo-Nazi gang in Bratislava plotted armed attack and called their leader ‘Mr Führer’, court documents reveal
- News digest: Pellegrini’s defence spending pitch falls flat
- Slovakia’s secret weapon is living abroad
- No Michelin stars yet, but Slovak fine dining wins French praise
- Last Week: Central bank governor found guilty, but Fico accuses the judge
- Irish outlet hails Slovak spa town as top European holiday spot
- Slovakia’s secret weapon is living abroad
- The hidden costs of Slovakia’s complicated tax system
- Bratislava Region simplifies transport zones, raises fares
- Neo-Nazi gang in Bratislava plotted armed attack and called their leader ‘Mr Führer’, court documents reveal
- Bože môj: In search of my Rusyn self
- Slovakia ends November 17 public holiday amid fiscal pressures
- Irish outlet hails Slovak spa town as top European holiday spot
- After years of straddling two worlds, this American is now reconnecting with his Slovak roots
- Why a British teacher chose Slovakia as home Audio
- Where can vegetarians and gluten-free diners eat out in Bratislava?
- Man appeals for help finding strangers who saved his life
- Slovak physicist: I do not employ doctoral students; I make them go abroad. I expect them to push us forward
- Slovakia’s secret weapon is living abroad
- The law changed. Our family papers were ready. Now my kids are Slovak citizens
- News digest: President shuts down referendum push on Russia sanctions Video
- Slovak band Tolstoys to return to Glastonbury festival
- Slovaks use social media more than Czechs – but with less caution
- Unique ritual dance proposed for intangible heritage list Photo
- Jordanian runs Lebanese restaurant in Bratislava: Slovaks welcomed me better than Austrians
- Top 10 events in Bratislava for foreigners
- Is Slovakia the next Hungary? MEPs raise alarm over democratic backsliding
- How to spend 48 hours in Bratislava More articles ›
